Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Today, March 9 is the Statewide GENDA Call-In Day. The Empire State Pride Agenda is asking New Yorkers across the state to call their Senators and the lead Senate sponsor Tom Duane at their Albany offices to tell them to bring the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) to the Senate floor and pass it. We’re at a crucial moment and it is vital that they hear from their constituents.

GENDA would amend the state's human rights law to ban discrimination in housing, employment, credit and public accommodations. It also expands the state’s hate crimes law to explicitly include crimes against transgender people. GENDA has been passed by the Assembly, and the only remaining obstacle to the bill becoming law is the New York State Senate. The time is NOW to take action and make our final push to get the Senate to vote to end discrimination against transgender New Yorkers.

Here’s how to make your calls:

1. You can find your State Senator’s Albany phone number here and you can reach Senator Tom Duane at (518) 455-2451.

2. Remember to tell your Senator the number of the GENDA bill (S.2406) and ask them to support GENDA and bring it to the floor for a vote.

3. You can use these talking points about the urgent need for GENDA and the broad support it has:

Due to difficulty with job discrimination, one-fifth of transgender New Yorkers have incomes below $10,000 a year

28% of transgender New Yorkers have experienced a serious physical or sexual assault motivated by hate

78% of New York voters support GENDA

Unions representing 2.1 million working New Yorkers support GENDA

30 Fortune 500 companies based in cities like Rochester, Corning, New York City and White Plains already have non-discrimination policies that include gender identity and expression

547 clergy and lay leaders representing over 20 different denominations support GENDA

4. After your call, please report your results to the Pride Agenda. E-mail us at prideagenda@prideagenda.org and tell us which Senators you called, who you spoke to in their office, and what their response was. Your feedback will help us in our campaign to win GENDA in 2010!